Hanoi was founded in 1010, and became the centre of government for the Indochina Union under French rule in 1888. In 1954 it became the official capital of independent Vietnam. Today ancient crumbling buildings dating from the 11th century lie scattered among grand French colonial residences, while shrines and monuments to Vietnam's first president, Ho Chi Minh, sit in the shadow of modern high-rise buildings. The streets of the Old Quarter preserve age-old customs, where trade takes one back half a century, and temples, pagodas and monuments reflect the historic character of Vietnam.Although a city of historical importance, and the social and cultural centre of Vietnam, it is a surprisingly modest and charming place, far slower and less developed than Ho Chi Minh City in the south. Hanoi has retained its appealing sense of the old world, despite the onset of a brisk tourism trade in 1993, absorbing the boom of hotels, travellers' hangouts and Internet cafes, and the gradual infiltration of western-style food and fashions into the once inaccessible city.

Tour price includes:

• All private transfer and transportation
• Accommodation in twin share basis with daily breakfast
• French or English Speaking Guide
• Meals as stated in the itinerary
• Services charges and government taxes

Tour price exclude:

• International flights and International departures taxes
• Visa fees
• Sightseeing tickets
• Personal expenses, tips and gratuities
• Travel insurance
• Meals and beverage

Hotels quoted in above packages or similar category: